Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy Versus Chemotherapy Alone in Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Patients With Mediastinal Lymph Node Metastases

Exclusion Criteria

• •Patients with prior or concomitant malignancies Allowed are: non-melanomatous skin cancer, adequately treated in situ cervical cancer or any other neoplastic diseases with disease-free interval ³ 5 years.
• •Presence or history of any distant metastasis
• •Unstable cardiac disease requiring treatment, congestive heart failure or angina pectoris even if medically controlled, significant arrhythmia, or prior history of myocardial infarction in the last 3 months
• •History of significant neurologic or psychiatric disorders including psychotic disorders, dementia or seizures that would prohibit the understanding and giving of informed consent
• •Active uncontrolled infection
• •Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
• •Gastric ulcers
• •Preexisting peripheral neuropathy (\> grade 1)
• •Other serious underlying medical condition which could impair the ability of the patient to participate in the trial
• •Concurrent treatment with other experimental drugs
• •Pretreatment with any other cytostatic therapy
• •Previous radiotherapy to the chest
• •Concurrent treatment with prednisone (or equivalent) except: for the prophylactic medication regimen before treatment, treatment of acute hypersensitivity reactions or chronic treatment (initiated \> 6 months prior to trial entry) at low dose (£ 20 mg methylprednisolone or equivalent)
• •Definite contraindications for the use of corticosteroids as premedication
• •Treatment within a clinical trial within 30 days prior to trial entry
• •Socioeconomic or geographic circumstances that may prohibit proper staging, treatment or follow-up procedures
• •Pregnancy, lactation period